Connecticut officials released the following statements Wednesday (unedited here) in response to the Supreme Court's decisions on the Defense of Marriage Act and Prop 8:

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.:

"It has often been said that the arc of moral history bends only toward justice, and today, the Supreme Court proved this axiom to be true. The right to marry the person you love should not be denied to anyone based on their sexual orientation, because in the end, all that should matter is the love you have for the person standing on altar beside you. I have been part of this movement from the very beginning of my public service, signing up as one of the original ten cosponsors of Connecticut's civil union legislation. Today, I get shivers looking at how far this nation has come in under two decades. The majority of Americans now support marriage equality, and most members of the Senate, on both sides of the aisle, have pledged their support as well. I'm thrilled that the Supreme Court today ruled in favor of common sense and equality, allowing same-sex couples to take advantage of federal benefits that should have been theirs all along. Plain and simple, this is a day that makes me proud to be in public service."

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.:

"Today's Supreme Court ruling is a huge and historic victory for freedom and equality, most especially for marriage equality. Standing on the steps of the Supreme Court today as the decision came down, I was proud and overjoyed to be an American and to represent a state that helped lead the way. Connecticut law guaranteeing marriage equality will now be accorded full respect under federal law - and so will married couples regardless of who they are or whom they love. I thank all in Connecticut and the country who have stayed true to this cause, and I pledge to continue the fight so all Americans in all states have marriage equality."

U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5:

"This is a momentous and historic day for all Americans. Today, the Supreme Court has made decisions that strengthen families and that live up to our shared values of equality and freedom," Esty said. "DOMA denied gay and lesbian couples full equality under the law, and I applaud the Court for correcting this constitutional and moral injustice.

"This is personal for many American families, including my own. My brother had the courage to come out in 1979, when equality was still a distant dream. A few years ago, I was thrilled that my brother and his long-time partner were able to publicly commit themselves in marriage - something they had been denied the right to do for many years. Although there is still much work to do in the cause of equality and strengthening all families, I join families across the country in celebrating today's ruling and looking forward towards a more inclusive, more equal future."

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD):

"The Court has removed the stain and the insult that is DOMA," said Lee Swislow, GLAD's Executive Director. "This is an enormous victory and a joyous day for loving, married couples and their families - and for thousands of couples in California who will now be able to express their commitment through marriage."

"Today, the Supreme Court affirmed that there should be no gay exception in how the federal government regards marriage. If you are married, you are married," said

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy:

"The Supreme Court today reaffirmed the core principles of our country - that all people are created equal and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

"Although the State of Connecticut has recognized marriage equality for same-sex couples since 2008, a discriminatory federal law known as DOMA prevented these legally married couples from being recognized by the U.S. government, thus being denied a host of rights that are afforded to all other married couples.

"Having two different sets of laws for people based solely on their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity is wrong, and that's exactly what the Supreme Court recognized today. Simply put, today's ruling comes down to equality, and when equality wins, we all win.

"With this ruling, I implore every state to give full faith and credit to valid same-sex marriages. Every Connecticut resident deserves to have their marriage recognized as they travel among the states for work, vacation and family visits. A marriage should not be a right that you gain and lose on a road trip across the country.

"My wife Cathy and I proudly join with all of our friends, both gay and straight, to celebrate today's ruling and it's recognition of justice for all."

President Barack Obama:

I applaud the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal - and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.

This ruling is a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law; for children whose parents' marriages will now be recognized, rightly, as legitimate; for families that, at long last, will get the respect and protection they deserve; and for friends and supporters who have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and have worked hard to persuade their nation to change for the better.

So we welcome today's decision, and I've directed the Attorney General to work with other members of my Cabinet to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly.

On an issue as sensitive as this, knowing that Americans hold a wide range of views based on deeply held beliefs, maintaining our nation's commitment to religious freedom is also vital. How religious institutions define and consecrate marriage has always been up to those institutions. Nothing about this decision - which applies only to civil marriages - changes that.

The laws of our land are catching up to the fundamental truth that millions of Americans hold in our hearts: when all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free.

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill:

"Today's rulings by the US Supreme Court are a victory for human rights and equality throughout the land. It is long past the time in this country for us to recognize - as we have in Connecticut since 2008 - that the love that same-sex couples feel for each other and the families created by in same-sex households are every bit as real and legitimate as heterosexual marriages. These rulings reaffirm that our constitution sets one standard - all Americans are equal under the law. Therefore discrimination based on sexual orientation cannot be a legal basis to deny legal benefits or reserve certain legal rights to individuals or groups of Americans. Though today's rulings don't go so far as to say that same sex couples have a constitutional right to be married, that day is clearly coming. Meanwhile, I applaud the high court's expansion of human rights in our country today."